Comment from Earthquake-Report.com : Earthquake-Report.com was from the very beginning very critical in the slow reaction of Indonesian Rescue and Relief efforts. As we followed the news almost from minute to minute after the main earthquake, it was very clear to us that the devastation and the height of the waves was much greater than initially calculated by theoretical models.
It took another 2 days before ships with Rescue and Relief personnel were on their way to the Mentawai Islands.
The Indonesian President did come to the same conclusion and ordered an immediate reorganization of emergency services in order to respond quicker to calamities.

In the wake of criticism over relief efforts following last week’s natural disasters, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Monday that the National Disaster Management Agency would be provided with the necessary equipment to do its job.He said the head of the agency, known as BNPB, held ministerial rank and therefore could sidestep the bureaucracy.
This meant the BNPB did not have to waste time coordinating with other ministries.
Yudhoyono said he wanted extra funding for the agency in the 2011 budget to ensure its effective operation.
“The BNPB should have a high level of readiness, not only concerning its personnel but also its communication equipment and air transport,” he said.The BNPB has 10 helicopters, two Hercules planes, five warships, two ships, six speedboats and 15 longboats at its disposal.

He praised the military for quickly mobilizing its Hercules planes to deliver supplies in Mentawai, where access was difficult.
“This model should be followed in the future,” he said. “If we cannot get supplies through by sea it should be through air.”
However, he said the first priority should be rescuing the injured. “I underline the need for speedy evacuations,” the president said . “The use of helicopters should be prioritized to transport the injured.”
The president said people in disaster-prone areas should be trained in what to do when a tragedy struck.
“There should be new policies that will really be able to reduce the number of victims when natural disasters hit,” he said.
In the case of Mentawai, the president said it was dangerous to allow people to return to villages too close to the sea. “We need a new regulation or a law if necessary to reorganize this for their own safety,” Yudhoyono said.